Sitting On A Fence

Reminder: You can enlarge any of the photos in this blog by clicking on it. Click again for a full-screen image.

A few days ago I was wandering around agricultural country with Sam Angevine, looking for raptors to photograph, when we came across this male American Kestrel sitting on a fencepost.

Kestrels — barely the size of robins — are the smallest birds of prey in North America. They are birds of open country, commonly seen near fields. These tiny falcons have lifestyles that mimic those of their larger cousins, Merlins, Peregrines and Prairie Falcons. Typically, they sit on perches that overlook the countryside — fence posts, utility poles, tree limbs — and they scout for prey with their exceptional vision. Prey could consist of an insect, a small rodent such as a mouse, or a smaller bird. Typically, a kestrel will swoop down on its prey in a surprise attack.

The American Kestrel is the only North American raptor species in which male and female display different colored plumage. The male, depicted here, has blue upper wings and a spotted breast. Females have russet-colored upper wings with matching russet-colored stripes on their breasts.